Yangon is the largest city in Myanmar with a population of over 5 million. As in the case of Tokyo in Japan, one-tenth of the country’s total population is concentrated in this city area, and heavy traffic congestion occurs, as the number of the vehicles has been on the increase.

Yangon does have a circular rail line (double track, non-electrified) with 38 stations over a total length of about 46 km through the city. It takes up to 3 hours to complete one trip around due to the aging equipment and rolling stock, causing trains to travel at slow speeds, and derailment accidents also occur frequently.

In this project, the travel time of this railway is to be shortened by refurbishment of tracks, renewal of signal systems, upgrading of power supply, automatization of all level crossings within a section of 44 km of the circular line (the remaining 2 km is part of another project), and introduction of new rolling stock. The construction of a public transport network that is user-friendly as well as the environmentally sound will contribute to the revitalization of socio-economic activities in the Yangon metropolitan area by alleviating traffic congestion.

JIC has mainly been in charge of supervising the incorporation of rolling stock (DEMU: Diesel Electric Multiple Unit), track maintenance technology and matters of signal equipment (including level crossings and incidental electric power supply).

Details:
Business type: Modernization
Type: SV, Route length: 46 km, Gauge: 1,000 mm
Status of electrifiction and signal system: non-electrified double track, various interlocking, automatic blockage
Number of new vehicles: DEMU (Diesel Electric Multiple Unit) 66